Even a Small Flicker Can Become a Beautiful Flame
by jesokaa
Summary: After the end of Amon's reign, Asami is beginning to see her situation in a new light. A small flicker of hope has started within her heart, and General Iroh may be the one to turn it into a beautiful flame. Irosami!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: After watching Mako handle the love triangle he was in so poorly, I can honestly say that Asami deserves much better than him. General Iroh seems like the kind of man who would treat a woman the right way, just like his grandfather would have. Aside from that, the finale felt a bit rushed for me. I would have loved to see more of General Iroh, and it would have been nice if they had left us with some sort of cliffhanger for next season. Oh well, it was still a great finale nonetheless. ^_^**

**This fiction is meant to reflect on Asami's feelings, and the possibility of a relationship with the beautiful General Iroh.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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Amon and her father had been defeated, Korra was officially an airbender as well as a full fledged Avatar and Asami was, in every sense of the word, alone.

She had no family left to turn to, and she had no desire whatsoever to make contact with her father in prison, at least not any time soon. As for Mako, she truly had nothing left to say regarding him. He made his decision, and Asami could honestly admit that she was not surprised. The tension and feelings between Korra and Mako had been obvious from the first moment she saw them together, as much as it hurt her to admit it.

Asami knew Mako cared about her, but it was not in the same way she had grown to care for him. She now realized that in his eyes she was viewed as a good friend or maybe even as a sister. She would never be Korra. When she first came to that conclusion, a small fragment of her heart broke, but she had brushed it off in order to focus on the more important issue: Amon and the equalists. She had had no time to dwell on his blatant rejection, and for this, she was thankful.

Now; however, she felt different. After reaching the airfield, and being knocked unconscious by the electric fence, Asami, upon waking, had come to realize that instead of thinking about Mako when she was in dire need of assistance, she had turned to General Iroh in particular and Bolin as well.

They had fought with her as she faced her father, and although the three of them were not together during the entire battle, she felt a much deeper connection to each of them than she had felt with Mako during their entire relationship.

Asami greatly admired General Iroh and how he had acted so gracefully. Something about him intrigued her. It was a completely different from her initial feelings toward Mako. Iroh's style of firebending immediately caught her attention, and the elegance with which he was able to bend and carry himself with was beautiful. He had handled their situation so graciously, and she had watched, as he was quickly able to formulate a plan in every situation thrown at him. Having had to make quick decisions herself, when she used to drive on her father's test track, she felt she could relate to Iroh in this manner.

Asami would not forget what Bolin did either. He had protected her from her father when she thought that her father had the upper hand. Bolin's quick earthbending had saved her life, and for that, she was indebted to him; however, unlike Iroh, she did not feel a connection with Bolin that could potentially become romantic. Although she loved him as a friend, there was no way in hell that she was going to try dating one of the bending brothers again. It would be much too awkward, and she lacked the necessary feelings to do so anyway.

As the sunlight poured into her room, Asami yawned as she slowly sat up in her bed and glanced out the window. Hills of snow stretched on for miles, and Naga could be seen in the distance rolling around happily in the snow. The port where Iroh's ship was currently docked was bustling with life as Iroh's men began to make preparations for their afternoon departure toward the Fire Nation.

Asami quickly jumped out of bed and got dressed in her typical attire. She paced down the hallway briskly yet was able to gracefully manage her way through the halls. Tenzin's children ran after each other, laughing loudly, and Asami felt herself smile when she saw Pema cooing softly to her new son, Rohan.

Mako, Korra, Tenzin, Bolin and Iroh were standing together outside of the house. They all turned toward her as she approached, all of them greeting her with a smile. Warmth encased her heart as her eyes met Iroh's.

He stepped forward, and she looked at him in surprised as he looked down at her.

"It was an _honor_ to fight alongside a woman such as yourself, Ms. Sato," Iroh addressed her respectfully while also sticking out his right hand. Asami immediately reacted and took his right hand within her left hand, giving him a proper handshake. She smiled. His hand was warm, strong and firm. She could also feel the electricity of the lighting he was able to bend. Could he feel it too?

"The pleasure is all mine, General Iroh, sir." She hoped he could not see the light blush encompassing her face. She could feel the others watching her back, but she kept up her well-composted figure and smiled amicably back.

"Please, call me Iroh. " He released his grip on her arm, and she quickly crossed her arms before she could react in any other way.

"Okay, Iroh, but in turn, please call me Asami." The sound of his name felt perfect on her tongue. When she saw a pleased look pool across his face, and she knew that he felt something too. She was not sure if it was merely a feeling of comradeship or possible romantic interest, and at this point, she did not care, as long as there was something between them.

"It was a pleasure seeing you again, Tenzin. I hope that your family remains safe. Korra, remember to keep fighting in order to repair the city that my grandfather and Aang left behind. Please know, that the Fire Nation will always be your ally." Iroh inclined his head in a form of acknowledgement to both.

"Thank you, General Iroh." Korra said humbly. Mako stood beside her, with his arm resting on her shoulder. Asami smiled when she realized that looking at them was not as painful as it had been. It still hurt, but much less. Iroh waved again as he left to meet up with his crew.

Korra and the others began to walk back, while Asami remained standing a few feet away from the the dock.

Asami watched as Iroh boarded his command ship to return back to the Fire Nation once more, and a small flicker of hope began to burn inside of her. With enough care, she knew that if she could keep it going, someday it would turn into a beautiful flame. She turned back one last time and saw him smiling down at her. He then waved directly at her, and she slowly smiled back up at him, raising her hand to return the sign of farewell. She felt a light blush heating her cheeks as he gave her one last look and a handsome smile, before walking to the front of his ship.

Maybe there was hope for a brighter future after all.

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**A/N: I don't like or dislike Bosami, but I think it would be much too awkward for a romantic relationship to be formed between them. Asami was interested in Mako and Bolin liked Korra… So it is just odd for me. I can proudly admit that I officially boarded the S.S. Irosami. I hope that we see more interaction between them in season two. If not, I am still going down with this ship, unless Iroh is already married . Which I hope is not the case. Thanks for reading! -Jesokaa**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I decided to make this into a what will most likely be a four or five shot instead of the originally planned one-shot. I was suddenly hit with inspiration. Is it because I was looking at endless Irosami fanart? Quite possibly ^_^**

**I would like to thank all of you who faved, alerted and reviewed! You are all so very lovely for doing so! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but if I did, Irosami would be canon!**

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_To the charming and elegant Ms. Sato,_

_Ms. Asami Sato and company are invited to attend the Annual Fire Nation Dance of the Dragon Festival._

_The Festival starts this Friday and will be held until late Sunday evening; event times vary from day to day_

_Friday- Opening ceremony with fireworks afterward (5 pm -9pm)_

_Saturday * - The Dragon Dance Parade (4-6 pm) and The Dragon Dance (8 pm -12:30 am)_

_Sunday- Tea Ceremony at 12 pm with closing ceremony held afterwards _

_*Local artists, bakers and many others will be selling their homemade goods from 8:00 am to 5 pm on Saturday at the Firestone Market Place_

_The strength that Ms. Sato and company showcased throughout the battle against Amon and the Equalists demonstrates the dauntlessness and prowess you all have. It would be a great honor for the Fire Nation to have our most cherished allies attend this festival as part of the parade held this Friday evening._

_It would be an honor to have each of you present for this special event. The Fire Nation, and I cannot thank you all enough. We look forward to seeing you._

_With honor,_

_General Iroh II_

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"Hey, Asami, can you come here for a minute? I think you should see this. It looks like the General has taken quite a liking to you," Korra smirked triumphantly as she stared down at the letter in hand. There was no way in hell that they would miss something like this.

Asami, who had been watching Naga play with Tenzin's children from the window, immediately turned around when she heard Korra mention Iroh. She felt a light blush dapple her face, and she awkwardly coughed to try and cover it up. Unfortunately for her, Korra could easily see that the mention of Iroh had sent Asami into a flustered phase.

Asami stood up and tried to walk over to Korra as slowly as she could. She did not want to appear too eager. She managed to act nonchalantly enough for Korra to raise a surprised yet slightly skepetical brow. On the inside, Asami was a ball of excitement and nerves. What could Iroh have possibly sent that would cause Korra to say something like that? Did Korra really think Iroh was interested in her?

Asami sighed. A tiny flutter in her heart latched onto the flicker of hope she had found not to long ago. Iroh left two weeks ago, and he had consumed her thoughts more often than she felt comfortable admitting. It was not as though she was a dependent woman. She loved being independent because so many assumed that she could not be alone; however, she could handle herself quite well without the help of anyone. But after recent events, all she wanted was one person to truly provide her with the comfort she needed.

She had lost everything in such a short period of time, and it was a lot to handle. It would be nice to have someone to go to when she just needed to talk or to get her mind off of her never-ending stream of thought. Even if Iroh decided to view her platonically, she still desired to have some form of a relationship with him.

"Um, Asami, are you feeling alright?" Korra had walked over to Asami, who had unintentionally stopped walking.

"Oh, Korra!" Asami said in surprise, and she blushed even more as she realized that she had been so consumed by her thoughts that she had actually stopped walking. She knew she must have stopped with a rather contemplative look dawning on her face. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking."

"Here, read this!" Korra eagerly pushed the letter into Asami's hand, seeming to have forgotten Asami's momentary lapse of sanity, and for this, Asami was grateful.

Asami examined the letter with Fire Nation symbol inscribed into it. She noticed that two golden dragons were adorning the front of it. Their mouths were slightly parted as the orange tinted flames burst forth and intertwined with one another. The image was incredibly familiar to her, yet she could not place where she had seen it before. She ignored the slight aching she felt in her head as the memory she tried to open refused to budge.

As she scanned the contents of the letter, she felt her face heat up, a nice red blush coating her cheeks. 'Charming' and 'elegant'? Is that truly how he saw her? She was incredibly flattered by his compliments. She felt her heart jump when she saw that she was also the main recipient of the letter.

When Asami looked up from the letter, she saw Mako, Korra and Bolin watching her carefully. When had the bending brothers entered the room? They both looked slightly sweaty and were breathing heavy. Asami realized that they must have gotten back from practicing with one another. She smiled to herself; those boys were always so focused on keeping in top shape for their pro-bending team, even out of season.

Bolin walked up to her and removed the letter from her hands. After skimming over it, he jumped up in excitement.

"Finally!" Bolin pumped his left arm into the air, before turning toward everyone. "This is a new way for me to meet more beautiful young ladies! How can they possibly resist this?" Bolin began flexing his arms and strutting around. Korra stifled her laugher, and Mako looked at his brother fondly before placing his arm on Korra's shoulder.

"It looks like we will have to attend then, for the ladies of course." Mako said almost sarcastically yet sincerely enough for Bolin to look at his brother with pure glee written across his face.

"We cannot miss it, we're honorary guests- especially _Ms. Asami Sato"_ Korra fluttered her eyelashes in an exaggerated fashion and laughed harder as Asami felt her face heat up.

Asami could not deny that she wanted to attend the festival more than anything.

"It would be impolite of us not to accept." Asami nodded her head in agreement, trying not to let the pure excitement she felt show. Korra glanced at her with a knowing look and grinned.

"We better tell Tenzin; although, I am sure the offer applies to him as well." Mako's statement was geared toward the whole group, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Why do I feel like Tenzin may say no?" Korra sulked slightly.

Asami felt dread pool into her stomach. Tenzin was an amazing person, but sometimes it was a bit difficult to persuade him.

"General Iroh II and Tenzin know each other pretty well though, Korra. Aang and Zuko were extremely close, so I see no reason as to why Tenzin would say no." Asami said quickly, voicing her thoughts. There had to be a way. They could not miss this. Korra looked at her with bright eyes.

"That's a brilliant argument, Asami!" She pushed her arm forward and held her fist out so that Asami could fist bump Korra; both girls smirked deviously.

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"Absolutely not Korra, Pema just gave birth to Rohan two weeks ago. It would be highly illogical for me to embark on a trip to the Fire Nation. Pema cannot take the baby with her, and I do not plan on leaving her alone anytime soon." Tenzin had his face in his hands. When he heard Korra grumble, he looked at her wearily.

"But Tenzin, Asami, Mako, Bolin and I can still go, right?" Korra asked hopefully. She was not planning on taking no for an answer- she rarely did. She was much too stubborn to do so, and Tenzin knew that better than anyone.

"Korra, it would be unwise for you to-" Korra quickly interrupted him.

"Didn't you just tell me that I had finally become a true Avatar?" Korra looked at him with one eyebrow raised in annoyance and slight skepticism.

"Korra, it is not whether you're a full-fledged Avatar or n-"

"Then what is it about, Tenzin?" Korra stood with her arms crossed and her leg taping against the ground furiously. "I can handle myself, in case you hadn't notice. I can air-bend now, which means I can bend all four elements. Not to mention, I'd be traveling with an earth-bender, fire-bender and a girl who can kick as much ass as any top-notch bender."

Tenzin gave Korra a disapproving look when she cussed, and she did feel a bit bad, but only a bit.

"Okay fine, Korra, you can go, but be careful. Sometimes you get to reckless." He sighed. Korra beamed and ran toward him before throwing an arm around him.

"Thank you, Tenzin! And I will be! We have General Iroh and his fleet to protect as too." Korra said reassuringly, before running off to tell the others. Tenzin smiled softly as she ran off, before getting up and joining his wife in their bedroom.

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Asami smiled as she watched the others heading toward Oogi, Tenzin's sky bison. Asami could not deny how relieved she had felt when Korra burst into her bedroom to tell her that they would be leaving for the Fire Nation soon. Their expected arrival time was about two days from now, which was also Thursday, due to the amount of rest Oogi may or may not need, and the stops that the team would need as well.

Their plan was to arrive Thursday evening at the latest so that they would be able to speak with General Iroh and find out where exactly they would be staying for the remainder of the weekend.

Asami quickly ran out the door to catch up with the others. Bolin and Mako were lifting supplies onto Oogi's back and attaching it to the harness as well, while Korra was rubbing Naga's ears and speaking to her in a reassuring tone. After a few minutes, Bolin's voice rang out into the barren snow-capped fields.

"Alright guys, let's head out!" Bolin said eagerly. Korra and Mako quickly seated themselves. Asami looked back once more before getting on Oogi's back as well.

As Oogi began to fly, Asami stared out into the horizon and the endless sea ahead of them. Her hair whipped around her face as the wind blew somewhat harshly, but she liked the feeling. It made her feel free. She clutched her chest and smiled, she could feel the flicker of hope beginning to smolder and grow as the wind whipped around her. She was confident that this festival would restore some of, if not all, of the happiness that she had lost. Her hands fell to her sides, and she felt something in her pocket. She looked down and smiled when she saw the envelope with two golden dragons dancing on it. This would be a most promising trip indeed.

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**A/N: Let the ****Annual ****Fire Nation Dance of the Dragon Festival begin!**

**Hehe, I hope you all enjoy this idea, because I am most definitely excited for it :3**

**Side Note: I still picture Asami and Korra being friends, despite the whole incident with Mako. Mako should have broken things off properly with Asami. He should have had the decency to do so! Oh well, Asami is amazingly strong, which is just another thing to love about her! And another reason why she should be with Iroh! **


End file.
